Connecticut HB 5408: AN ACT CONCERNING THE ADOPTION OF ATLANTIC STANDARD TIME.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5408
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2047

Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS

Introduced by:
(VA)

AN ACT CONCERNING TRAINING FOR VETERANS' SERVICE
OFFICERS AND MUNICIPAL PROVIDERS OF VETERANS'
ASSISTANCE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 27-102l of the 2026 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 3
(b) (1) The commissioner may appoint a manager to administer an 4
Office of Advocacy and Assistance for the aid and benefit of veterans 5
and their spouses, eligible dependents and family members. The office 6
shall have a staff of not less than nineteen men and women, including 7
not less than fourteen veterans' service officers, and not less than three 8
clerical personnel. The manager and veterans' service officers shall be 9
veterans, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, or veterans who 10
were awarded the armed forces expeditionary medal for service by the 11
armed forces. 12
(2) (A) The manager shall develop a training module on (i) assisting 13

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and serving [women] veterans with regard to any available state or 14
federal services or benefits, and (ii) identifying and advising such 15
veterans of any community or nonprofit programs focused on assisting 16
and serving such veterans and of any other charitable or social service 17
organizations that may be able to provide assistance with services or 18
benefits. The manager shall dedicate a portion of such module to 19
assisting, serving and advising women veterans and to addressing 20
issues unique to women veterans. The manager shall hold and provide 21
instruction for an annual training session, in accordance with such 22
module, to each veterans' service officer and any member of a municipal 23
veterans advisory committee, director of municipal veterans services or 24
municipal veterans representative, as described in subsection (c) of 25
section 27-135, or representative from an Operation Academic Support 26
for Incoming Service Members center at a public institution of higher 27
education in this state. 28
(B) At least one of the veterans' service officers shall be a woman 29
having a demonstrated interest in the concerns of women veterans, who 30
shall be responsible for addressing those concerns, and, effective upon 31
the next opening of a veterans' service officer position occurring on or 32
after July 1, 2010, at least two of the veterans' service officers shall be 33
individuals having bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish, within 34
existing authorized positions. At least two of the veterans' service 35
officers shall, in addition to carrying out the duties under this section, 36
be responsible for overseeing and supporting municipalities' 37
compliance with the provisions of section 27-135. Each veterans' service 38
officer shall (i) successfully complete a course in veterans' benefits not 39
later than one year after commencement of employment, (ii) attend the 40
training session described in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, and 41
(iii) be assigned to one of the five congressional districts of the state. 42
(3) The office staff shall, at least twice annually, conduct a training 43
course for any member of a municipal veterans advisory committee, 44
director of municipal veterans services or municipal veterans 45
representative. The office staff shall include in such training course a 46

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summary of (A) state and federal services and benefits [,] for veterans, 47
community or nonprofit programs focused on assisting and serving 48
veterans and other charitable or social service organizations that may be 49
able to provide assistance with services or benefits, (B) the requirements 50
under section 27-135, and (C) any assistance the office staff may provide 51
to any such member, director or representative related to such 52
requirements. 53
(4) (A) The office shall develop a written outreach plan identifying (i) 54
strategies for conducting outreach to veterans and their spouses, eligible 55
dependents and family members for purposes of providing assistance 56
in claims for veterans' services or benefits, and (ii) to the extent possible, 57
specific events and other opportunities to provide such assistance that 58
are sponsored by the office or in which the office is participating. The 59
office shall update such written outreach plan as necessary to improve 60
the efficacy of its outreach efforts. 61
(B) The manager and each veterans' service officer shall electronically 62
track information relating to outreach conducted or attended by the 63
office, including, but not limited to, the title or type of any outreach 64
event conducted or attended and the number of veterans or their 65
s